Our Mission

Food For Thought by Sofia is a passion project that I have undertaken as part of my Girl Scouts Gold Award. The idea for the project arose from my fond childhood memories of preparing dinner each day with my Yaya, and my hope to inspire young children to regularly cook with their families starting at an early age. The benefits to children of “family cooking time” are profound, immediate and long-lasting, including bonding, learning a core life skill, growing self-confidence, gaining an appreciation of where our food comes from, and developing healthy eating habits. Through cooking traditional meals with their families, teens can also learn about their ethnic background and culture, as well as gain knowledge of other cultures through cooking international recipes

My research has shown that cooking with family can also be a powerful way to combat the troubling rise in teen loneliness. This loneliness "epidemic" of recent years, as the U.S. Surgeon General has described it, coincides with the alienation and decreased human interaction brought about by the use of technology and social media. It has led to significant adverse physical and mental health consequences for teens, and to a breakdown of “the social fabric of our nation.” Studies have shown that preparing and eating meals with family and friends is one of the most simple, accessible, enjoyable and effective ways to reduce loneliness, especially in teens like myself. I hope Food For Thought will inspire families and friends to make time for shared meals and, in the process, help improve their lives and communities.